


Remarkable Young Man

by fauchevalent



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Hotch runs a bakery, M/M, Reid runs a bookstore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:31:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fauchevalent/pseuds/fauchevalent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Here is the piece. If you can't say fornicate can you say copulate or if not that can you say co-habit? If not that I would have to say consummate I suppose. Use your own good taste and judgment." -Ernest Hemingway</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remarkable Young Man

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Criminal Minds, but if I did, I think it might be a lot gayer.

Spencer Reid has always been told he is a remarkable young man.   
He sort of doubts it, everytime, but he'll offer a smile and sometimes chuckle lightly before sending the person on their way.   
The one person he's had to get used to telling him this ( because she does it  _everyday-_ to the point where it's getting annoying ) is Jennifer Jareau, his... employee? Co-worker. Friend. Spencer says the word aloud, tests it out on his tongue, because he's never been a very social creature. More than that, he's never had someone who he's willing to consider a friend the way he considers JJ.   
She chooses this moment to walk by him, waving the stack of books in her hands and offering her daily encouragements. Spencer grins. "Ever think you might be annoying me, JJ?" He asks, and she shrugs. "Ever think I don't really care, Spence?" She replies, quirking an eyebrow and shoving the books onto the Fantasy shelf.   
"Fair enough." He laughs, taking a seat behind the counter as JJ hops up to sit atop the counter, as she always does. "What are your plans today when we close, Spence?"  
"Have I ever appeared to you to be a man who has plans after work?" He replies, leaning back in his chair and examining the streets outside. His eyes land on the bakery across the street, and he adds, just to piss JJ off, "Maybe I'll go and visit the bakery," with a roll of his eyes.  
"You should, Spence. You could use some sugar. Maybe Emily'll bake you something if you drop my name."  
"I'm not planning on using your connections to satisfy my blood sugar, JJ." Spencer jokes, laughing as she reaches over to pinch him. "Don't be so snarky, Spence. Just 'cause you're my boss, doesn't mean I don't get to care about you."  
"I know." Spencer says quietly, and JJ wraps him in a hug so tight that it lands her in his lap.  
Of course, someone enters the bookshop to cut off the moment with a jingle of the windchimes, and Spencer flushes with color. "How can we help you, sir?" JJ asks, recovering quickly, and the man in question raises an eyebrow.  
"Am I... interrupting something?"  
"Not at all, we were just playing around." JJ says, a smile plastered across her face.  
_God bless her._  
The man looks to Spencer for confirmation, and he gives a sharp nod. He wishes he could've saved the day, but his voice is caught in his throat, and he's working very hard to look like he's not checking their customer out.  
Their customer makes it very difficult.  
He has to be at least 40, but he's... well, Spencer's always been prone to rambling, but the man leaves him speechless.    
"Spence?" JJ says, and her tone tells Spencer it's not the first time she's called his name. "Mhm?" He manages, and the man catches his eye as JJ turns a laugh into a hacking cough. "I was just talking to our customer here-"  
"Aaron." The man provides. "Aaron Hotchner."  
"I was just talking to Aaron, and it looks like he's looking for a thriller book. I was wondering if you could help him out?"  
Spencer shoots daggers at JJ, and she grins impishly back at him. "I can." He bites out, turning a plastered smile onto the m- _Aaron._ JJ giggles faintly as he leads Aaron to the back of the store, all the while wishing he could run back to JJ and make her do it. "So,  _Use your own good taste and judgement_?" Aaron asks, a smile on his face, and Spencer chuckles softly. "Yeah, my mom has a sense of humor. It's a- a, um- a Hemingway quote. 'Here is the piece. If you can't say fornicate can you say copulate or if not that can you say co-habit? If not that I would have to say consummate I suppose. Use your own good taste and judgment.'" He turns around to face Aaron, who's features are stamped with surprise. "Do you have that memorized?"  
"I have an eidetic memory." He murmurs, turning away again to find the shelf he's looking for. "It means I remember everything I read."  
"That's..." He can tell Aaron is struggling to find the words. "That's incredible." He hears him decide on, and Spencer smiles gently, a small scoff being absorbed into the back of his throat. "Sure." He says, pointing to the shelf. "There's the thrillers." He begins to head off when he feels a hand on his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. "Wait, could you- could you help me pick one out? I don't think I'm really equipped to handle this all on my own." Spencer turns to face Aaron again, chuckling softly. He can already hear JJ's giggling, "Told you so," in his head.  
He's picking through his collection when he hears Aaron say softly from behind him, "So, your mom has a sense of humor- the store is... _hers_?" He asks, tilting his head. Spencer doesn't turn around.   
"No."  
"No?"  
"It's mine."  
"That's remarkable."  
"Not when you consider all the reasons why." Spencer murmurs, and he knows Aaron hears him when he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Why, Spencer?"  
It's the first time Aaron has said his name. He decides he likes the way it sounds on Aaron's tongue, and he shrugs. "Mental disorders run in the family." He says, quietly but sharply, and it seems Aaron understands. "I'm sorry."  
"Me too."  
They're quiet for another minute, and when Aaron reaches out again, Spencer whirls around and shoves a book in his hands. "I like this one." He mumbles, red in the face, and makes his escape.

* * *

"So, how did Mr. Hotchner and you get along?" JJ singsongs, and Spencer huffs.  
"That good, huh?"  
"I like him, Jayje, I really do, but you also know me. You know that I can't do anything without screwing it up- that I can't handle a relationship without making someone's life miserable."  
"Honey," JJ says softly, running her fingers over his knuckles, "Maeve was not your fault. You know that, right? You couldn't have been expected to save her, Spence."  
"Sure." He replies, which she knows by now is Spencer speak for, 'But I should've anyway.'  
"Spence, I'm serious, you need to get back out there. And if that's not tonight, that's okay. But don't lock yourself up in your room, alright? If you want, we can _actually_ go to the bakery. Emily likes you, she won't mind if we hang out there with some coffee and desserts."  
Spencer sighs, shaking his head. "Fine. But if Emily takes you behind the counter to 'show you something' for twenty minutes again, I'm leaving."  
JJ turns bright pink, which elicits a laugh from Spencer, and JJ taps her watch with a long fingernail. "If you're quite done embarrassing me, Spencer Reid, we can clean up and close up." Spencer nods and wraps JJ in a quick hug before disappearing between shelves.

* * *

 

"Jennifer! Spencer!" Emily exclaims, and Spencer has to give her credit, she appears to have the same enthusiasm to see both of them.  
But she was a politician's daughter, so who knows.  
JJ reaches over the counter to press a kiss to Emily's cheek, which is remarkably clean for someone who bakes all day, and Spencer grins at the sight. "If you're done baking for the day, maybe you'd like to join us to eat some of your pastries?" Spencer asks, watching the exchange, and Emily raises an eyebrow. "Spencer, you think I bake these all day and still look this good? Nah, I just serve. I'm remarkably good with customers." She grins, winking at JJ, and Spencer laughs softly. "Well then, my offer still stands." Spencer says, and Emily practically leaps over the counter. "Hey."  
"Hey." Emily falls into JJ's lap and Spencer rolls his eyes. "Spare the child in the room," he says, and Emily reaches over to envelop him in a one armed hug. "Because Spencer is such an angel, right Jennifer?"  
"Oh, the purest." JJ says through snorts, and Spencer only huffs. "Rude."  
Emily sticks out her tongue at him.  
"Behave, you two." JJ admonishes, shooing Emily towards the counter. "And Emily, _please_ get your very hungry girlfriend some baked goods."    
"Yes, ma'am." Emily salutes, taking out a tray and bringing it towards their table. "I hope you don't mind, these are the burnt ones."  
"I don't mind at all." Spencer assures her, at the same time JJ says, "How rude."  
Spencer kicks JJ under the table and she narrows her eyes at him.  
"How's your day been, guys?" Emily asks, relaxing back against JJ, and JJ makes a noise like content. "Fine." Spencer says, but JJ kicks him and he groans. " _Fine,_ JJ. You tell it, Ms. Eager Beaver."  
"Hey, that's my nickname for her." Emily teases, and JJ sputters, turning bright pink again, and Spencer grins.  
"Well, Spencer met a guy in the bookstore-" At this, Emily high fives Spencer, who dips his head shyly and grins a little- "Bu _uuut_... he's too scared to do anything about it."  
"Well, did you get his number?"  
"No."  
"Boo, hiss." Emily frowns, and Spencer rolls his eyes. "Thanks for those kind words of encouragement, Emily."  
"Here to help." Emily takes another bite of a charred scone and smirks. "You know, I have something to show JJ in the b-"  
"Just do it  _quickly_ this time." Spencer chides, nudging the pair out of their seats. "JJ wants me out of the house, and then she deserts me to go have a quickie in the back of a bakery." Emily snorts and JJ turns scarlet. "I'll stay right here." Spencer promises. "Just hurry up before I change my mind." JJ drags a hand across his back in thanks and Emily salutes him as she scoops JJ up to bring them both to the back. "Good man." Emily grins, and Spencer rolls his eyes. "Do it," he reminds them, and both women nod, disappearing from his sight quickly. 

* * *

"We're closed." He hears from behind him, low and quiet like they're worried he might be a predator. "Sorry, I have a friend who works here- she and, uh, my other friend are copulating somewhere. I promised I'd stay."  
"Spencer?"  
"Aaron?" Spencer whips around immediately, backing up against the wall.   
"I'm not angry at you." Aaron says softly.  
"You should be. I just left, and then I just turn up in the bakery you work at like a  _stalker_ \- which, by the way, I didn't know you worked at it, I'm so sorry, and-"  
He's cut off by the feeling of lips on his and when they separate, Aaron smiles at him, and Spencer has to resist the urge to kiss his dimples. "Don't be." Aaron repeats. For the first time, he notices the apron tied around Aaron's middle and the bit of flour on his nose. It was kind of what he'd expected Emily to be like. A baker. Even after it had been established Aaron worked here, Spencer just kind of assumed it was as a business type.   
Spencer tilted his head. "Aaron...  _Hotchner._ Hotch & Son, how didn't I get that?" Aaron laughs and Spencer flushes with color. "I couldn't tell you."  
"Ho-so-um-you, you bake?"   
It's Aaron's turn to tilt his head, the beginnings of a smile in his eyes. "I do." He confirms, and Spencer reaches up to flick the flour off his nose. "That's really attractive." He murmurs, and Aaron laughs again, leaning towards Spencer. "I'm inclined to thank you."  
"How do you plan to do that?" Spencer asks, but he's the one who closes the distance between him and Aaron the second time. When they break apart, Spencer mumbles something like, "I think I like that form of thanks," and Aaron agrees. There's another kiss that's only broken off when they hear pained shouting from behind them. "Ew, ew, Aaron- stop jumping Spencer's bones." Emily shouts, and Spencer blushes darkly while Aaron turns a glare on Emily. "So," JJ's laughing, "you, uh, work here?"   
Aaron chuckles. "I bake. Nice to see you again, Ms. Jareau."   
Emily doesn't miss a beat. "Jennifer, meet Aaron Hotchner, my brother from another mother."  
"Literally?"  
"Nah, he's like my... protective older brother. Sorta. And he worked for my mother, so he's tough enough to handle me."  
Both Aaron and JJ find this funny, and Emily sneers at both in turn.  
"What do you mean, worked for your mother?" Spencer pipes up, "Isn't your mother like, big politics?"  
"Yeah. He may play domestic well, but Aaron did security for my mother. Had a way of intimidating people and charming them. Still does."  
"I think that's a compliment."   
"Take it as you will, 007."  
Spencer tries to look at Aaron out of the corner of his eye, but he isn't successful in making it go unnoticed. Aaron is turning his attention back to him, dipping his head with a grin. "I, ah,  _may_ have worked with the FBI. But we've all got odd things in our past." He says this, Spencer notices, like he isn't incredibly proud of the achievement.   
"Some of us have secret agent pasts, and some of us have five degrees." Emily teases Spencer, pulling JJ in front of the counter to wrap him in a hug. "Only three are PhD's." He murmurs into her elbow, and Emily laughs. "Okay, Boy Genius, you let me know when 'only' becomes a term you use in front of 'three PhD's'."   
As Emily lets him go, she pushes open the door to take JJ with her, and JJ only stops to pull Spencer into a quick goodbye hug. "Be good, you two." JJ teases, and Spencer rolls his eyes.  
"You are a remarkable young man, Spencer."   
Instead of offering his usual chuckle and polite smile, Spencer grins and presses another kiss to Aaron's lips. "Speak for yourself."


End file.
